And it is, my opinion, that it is an objectively good window. Unfortunately, I can't be bothered to go out and get the YouGov poll with 1500+ respondents that would allow me to feel greater conviction in that statement, but I'll do it next time. Or maybe the mods should add 'objective' to the list of banned terms. But hey, whatever semantic argument gets you off on a Friday night.

Sorry, I will very carefully word every post to make it clear that it is mostly my opinion. No more obvious sellable assets? That's your opinion. Thin at the back? Your opinion. Squad lacks athleticism? Your opinion. Got a bunch of people on here know pointing out that people are sharing opinions. It's a messageboard. It goes without saying and it is annoying to read every time someone thinks they are being smart by doing it. To be clear...that's just my opinion.

I actually think, viewed in isolation, this is an objectively good window (assuming that we sign Cantwell). It's a bit poor when viewed with the January window as a combo - even if that is a previous season and under a different regime. It's excellent when compared with our windows from the last couple of seasons. We've basically lost one starter and gained several. That's a good window. We're another winger and a backup forward away from an excellent window (assuming Toth is at least playable).

The Leo debate is what it is, but the reality is that we didn't even really see enough of him to properly judge. Keepers need time. The first thing I hope for Toth is that he's given an extended run in the side even if things go slightly wrong.

Come on guys. You expecting someone to be signed at 5am?

Ligue 1 doesn't get a lot of international attention, especially now that PSG have lost a lot of star power, but he's very well known in France and part of a good Lille side. None of those players are similar. Gomes is very different to Gallagher and Mainoo.

Mainoo? He had a good euros, is starting every week for United, and is a top prospect. It's fine to be a Wharton fan and to feel he should be in the squad, but it makes no sense to just single out Mainoo as the player who should be missing out. Gallagher is the one that puzzles me and I think there are too many wide players in the squad and not enough central midfielders.

Are you really surprised? He's still fairly unproven at the top level and there is plenty of competition for places. It was surprising to see him make the Euros squad. It isn't surprising to see him not make this squad.

Not disappointed in the slightest to miss out on Dembele and it speaks volumes that he has instead gone to Oxford. I know you can't always judge a player by who else is interested, but this is a battle that I'm happy that we lost.

How can you possibly come to that conclusion?

Mine isn't buffering, but the quality is very poor.

Not trying to single you out, but can we keep the financial discussions to the threads that exist for those topics? It can be frustrating to have the transfer window topic hijacked by endless Venky financial talk.

If all of our remaining transfers are loans then there is an issue, but there's nothing wrong with a loan signing. The goal should be to get in 3/4 loan signings every year. It's a cheaper way for us to fill out our squad. Most will have no impact, but the odd one does. Signing a player on loan shouldn't be causing this level of outrage.

He can and he will. We are the 'no excuse' club full of excuses and fall guys.

I'm worried that Eustace is choosing Dembele as his hill to die on. A very underwhelming signing if we pull it off. I won't repeat myself on my other concerns surrounding his involvement in transfers.

I'm not usually one to be much affected by 'celebrity' deaths, but Sven Goran Eriksson dying has made me a little sad. He's not much older than my parents, so it's one of those that hits home that little bit closer. On top of that, he was England manager during my early teens, that ideal sweet-spot as a football fan. Not only have I never cared more about football or followed it more closely than I did during those times, but it coincided with a good period for Blackburn Rovers during the Souness and Hughes eras and tournaments for England that, whilst ultimately disappointing, were filled with plenty of highs. I have such fond memories of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 and nothing will probably ever approach them in terms of their significance and the care-free enjoyment that I was able to get out of them. As a result, Sven has a somewhat special place in my own football history. What's more, he seemed like a genuinely nice man. It was hard not to be touched by how excited he was to manage Liverpool for a friendly match last season. To have achieved so much within the game and still maintain that level of enthusiasm for that kind of opportunity is rare. A very sad end to quite a remarkable life and career, but he handled it with the same charm that was ever-present through his various managerial positions and turmoil.

A say? Or the final say?

You could flip it as well. So our recruitment team focus on bringing in new players, but could ultimately get the sack because the manager insists on bringing in players he's already managed? There's a reason why this has become a modern approach. Eustace has better things to do than be out there scouring the globe for talent. Nor do I trust that he has the analytical abilities to process large datasets (that isn't meant as a knock on him).

Regarding your first point: no, nothing to do with it. I'm not super impressed by the current reported transfer hold-ups or the insistence of - once again - turning this club into an old boys' club for pals of the manager (had enough of it under Mowbray). Regarding your second point: what do the best clubs in the world do? As with any business, the idea should be to take inspiration from better-run organisations and replicate what they do. Are we trying to break the mold by remaining old fashioned? In response to both of your points: my feelings on the subjects are further strengthened by the fact that the current scouting and recruitment departments appear to have done a good job so far this summer. Far too early to qualify any of our summer signings as a success, but they are certainly showing early signs of promise. The one's that aren't? The uninspiring signings that are either jobs for pals or from the same old lists we had hanging around from months ago. 'Refused' is a strong word. He didn't start. He was a squad player and was used at times. Eustace didn't use him even when we had no other options available.

Telalovic actually played a bit under JDT. It's Eustace who refused to play him in the second half of the season. It's a little bit of a worrying trend.

I really disagree with that. First reason being that you should have specialists in place that are better at analysing that data and scouting players than the first team coach will be. Second reason being that the man most likely to leave is Eustace. So, if you give him that kind of final say over transfers you are heading towards a situation where you have a squad built for him, not built for a long-term vision. He should obviously have input, maybe even have the occasional veto, but he shouldn't be able to hold up transfers like this or have his heart set on specific players to the degree that it disrupts activity. That, quite simply, isn't his job.

Ugly win. Possibly slightly undeserved, although we were the better side in the second half. Oxford will feel hard done by and they could have easily been 2 or 3 clear at halftime. All that being said, an important win. Especially ahead of some tougher fixtures.

Great finish from Siggy! 2-1. Can we hold onto a lead?

It's worrying to see how little we are creating. We've had a decent chunk of the possession in the second half and a lot of it has been in their half, but we've created virtually nothing.

Dolan finally off. Sigurdsson with 15 minutes to impress.